Presented at this year’s Cartoon Movie (3-5 March), where it won the Eurimages Co-Production Development Award (see the news), Acorn’s Adventure is a Czech-German animated project that blends humour, imagination and Mother Nature in a story about identity and belonging. Cineuropa spoke with director Filip Mašek and producers Kristina Husová (Pure Shore) and Fabian Driehorst (Fabian&Fred) about the origins of the project, its distinctive visual approach and the European momentum it is currently gaining.

Cineuropa: Acorn’s Adventure revolves around a protagonist who doesn’t yet know his purpose. What inspired this premise, and how did the character of Quido come to life?
Filip Mašek: I’ve always been fascinated by how uncomfortable the question “What do you do?” can feel when you’re still in the process of discovering who you are. Society often expects us to define ourselves very quickly, by a job, a talent or a clear role. But for many people, across all generations, that search takes time.

That idea became the starting point for Quido. He is a character created by a child from an acorn, but unlike everyone else in the village, he arrives without a clear purpose. In Resinland, every character normally has a defined role imagined by the children who created them. Quido is the first one who simply exists without one, which makes everyone around him uneasy.

Through his journey, the village gradually learns that it’s okay not to have everything figured out yet. In the end, Quido’s answer to the question “Who are you?” is very simple: “I’m happy to be here, and I think that’s enough.”

The film takes place in Resinland, a village shaped by children’s imagination. How did you approach building this world visually and narratively?
FM: The visual concept comes directly from how children play in nature. When kids are in the forest, they naturally start building little houses, characters and entire imaginary worlds from whatever they find – acorns, sticks, stones or pieces of bark.

In the film, we imagine that once the children leave the forest, everything they created comes to life. The village of Resinland then has to function exactly according to the children’s imagination. So, if a rock has a smiley face drawn on it, it really becomes a character.

Visually, I try not to over-design nature. The goal is to keep the materials as authentic as possible and embrace their imperfections. That rawness is important because it reflects the spontaneity of children’s creativity. This approach also connects to the core idea of the film: how children can create entire universes from the simplest things they find outside in nature.

The project combines 3D animation and motion capture. What led you to adopt this hybrid technique, and what does it bring to the storytelling?
FM: When children build something, it’s rarely perfect. Their creations are messy, spontaneous and full of unexpected details. I wanted the animation technique to preserve that spirit, rather than smooth it out. That’s why we combine 3D scanning with motion capture. With scanning, we can capture real objects from nature and use them directly as the foundation for characters and environments. Motion capture adds another layer of unpredictability to the animation.

It’s not always perfectly precise, but that’s part of the charm. Sometimes, unexpected “mistakes” happen – for example, when a certain motion from the hands affects the legs in an unusual way. Those little accidents often create movements that feel strange, but very funny and alive. In a way, the whole animation pipeline mirrors the way children play: it leaves space for experimentation, surprises and imagination.

The film is a Czech-German co-production. How did this come about?
Kristina Husová: The collaboration began when we met the team from Fabian&Fred at Animation Production Days in Stuttgart in 2024. At that time, it was one of the first industry platforms where we got to introduce the project internationally, and we were actively looking for a co-production partner.

We immediately connected over the project’s tone, and its focus on children’s imagination and nature. Since then, we’ve been developing the film together as a Czech-German co-pro. The collaboration has felt very organic from the beginning, allowing us to combine different creative perspectives and production experiences.

What kind of feedback did you receive while pitching the project at Cartoon Movie, and how did the industry react to the concept?
Fabian Driehorst: Presenting Acorn’s Adventure at Cartoon Movie was a valuable experience. The response from the audience and industry professionals was extremely encouraging. Many people reacted strongly to the central idea of a story inspired by children’s imagination and their relationship with nature, which seems to resonate across different countries and cultures.

Cartoon Movie also gave us the opportunity to meet with sales agents, distributors and fellow producers. These conversations were very helpful in understanding how the film might travel internationally and how different markets perceive the project.

Winning the Eurimages Co-Production Development Award is a major boost at this stage. How will this support impact the next steps of the project?
FD: Receiving the award is a significant milestone for the project. It’s a strong signal that the story resonates internationally and reinforces the direction we’ve chosen for the film’s next steps.

The project has been steadily building European momentum across key industry platforms, and this recognition arrives at a very important moment. Acorn’s Adventure recently received production support from the Czech Audiovisual Fund, and we are currently continuing the international financing process on the German side. The Eurimages Award will help us bridge this crucial stage between development and production, while also increasing the project’s visibility within the European animation industry.

Where do you see Acorn’s Adventure fitting within today’s European animation landscape, particularly in the children’s and family segment?
KH: We hope to explore a visual approach that appeals to contemporary young audiences. The film is created in 3D animation, a format that children aged six to nine strongly connect with, which may help it travel internationally while remaining rooted in a distinctly European storytelling sensibility.

Importantly, the project has been developed in close dialogue with its target audience. The original idea grew directly from children’s imagination, and we continue to work with young audiences through workshops, research and early animatic screenings. This ensures the story remains emotionally engaging, accessible and enjoyable for both children and their parents.

Ultimately, our hope is that Acorn’s Adventure will inspire children to reconnect with nature and their own imagination – to go outside, explore forests, and invent their own characters, worlds and stories from the things they find there.